Live Animal Transport: Ensuring Compliance with EU Law and Ending Animal Suffering
Reports and publications on EU transport regulation compliance and animal welfare in live animal transport
"FOUR PAWS is pleased to share with you this compilation of translations of important articles on the live transport of animals published in professional journals. These articles were published between 2012-2020 and highlight many of the most discussed animal welfare issues and legal violations linked to live animal transport. The analyses and findings bring clarity to measures that need to be taken to improve enforcement of EU law on transport.
Live animal transport is linked to immense suffering and a first step to reduce the suffering is to ensure proper implementation of EU law. As an animal welfare organization that reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them, FOUR PAWS strongly believes that on the short term, transports should be limited to a maximum of 8 hours (4 hours for poultry) and that the transport of unweaned animals needs to stop. The upcoming revision of the Regulation 1/2005 must include stronger safeguards to minimize and prevent animal suffering as a result of live animal transport. Moreover, the EU needs to transition away from the transport of live animals and towards the transport of meat, carcasses and genetic material. Until such measures are in place, good and consequent enforcement of existing legislation on transport must be ensured.
The articles collected in this publication are a helpful guide towards a better and more uniform interpretation of law on live animal transport. We hope that these translations will help you in your daily work towards a successful implementation of EU law and ultimately towards ensuring an end to the suffering of animals during live animal transport."
Dr. Martina Stephany, Farm Animals & Nutrition Director at FOUR PAWS
1. Reports and position papers
Background Paper: Live Animal Transport
Over one billion poultry and millions of sheep, cattle, pigs, goats and other animals are transported within and out of the EU every year, causing significant animal welfare issues.
FOUR PAWS Position paper: Transport Revision Proposal
Crammed together in the transport vehicles, the animals suffer unimaginably on transports lasting up to weeks.
FOUR PAWS Position Paper: Transport Revision
FOUR PAWS position on the European Commission’s proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005.
FOUR PAWS: Key Demands
Animal transports cause immense animal suffering, which has been documented by animal welfare organisations and journalists for decades. At EU level, a committee of inquiry was established from June 2020 to December 2021.
2. Academic articles
Presentation of a checklist for cattle exports
Assessment Questions according to Art. 21 Paragraph 2 OCR for animal welfare requirements during the transport of animals.
Live Animal Transport: Closing the Gap between EU Requirements and Enforcemen
A Collection of Academic Articles on Compliance with the EU Council Regulation 1/2005 on the Protection of Animals during Transport.
Remarks on the transport of unweaned calves
The lack of compliance with the regulations for transporting unweaned young animals is clearly an ongoing and systematic failure of member states.
"The important responsibility of enforcing European law primarily lies with the EU Member States. However, the European Commission, as guardian of the Treaties, also plays a major role in ensuring that Member States respect EU Law. The Council Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport provides a uniform frame for how transport across the European Union is to be implemented and regulated.
Reports from DG Sante and various investigations by NGOs showed that proper enforcement is lacking across Europe and different national interpretations of legislation led to the regulation being handled like a directive in the past years. The articles in this volume summarize information on consequences from the Court of Justice ruling on resting periods for animals and drivers, as well as: transport planning; illegal hopping between assembly centers; important considerations for plausibility checks when approving transports to third countries; implications of the regulation harmonizing social provisions for road traffic on transport planning as well as specifications on journey time; requirements for control posts; and problems that need to be considered when approving transports to countries where basic welfare principles are likely to be disregarded.
We hope this resource assists you in ensuring the improved enforcement of EU regulation on the protection of animals during transport."
Pierre Sultana, Director European Policy Office at FOUR PAWS
